Vanderbilt among top 10 after opening round of NCAA women's golf championship

Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 8:21pm

Staff reports

Marina Alex and Anna Leigh Keith each shot even par 72s and the Vanderbilt women’s golf team finished alone in eighth place Wednesday in the opening round of the NCAA women’s golf championship.

Alex, a junior, and Keith, a sophomore, are among 12 players tied for 10th on the individual leaderboard. Lauren Stratton (4-over) and Rene Sobolewski (5-over) rounded out the scoring for Vanderbilt, which began on the 10th hole during the morning session at the Traditions Golf Club in College Station, Texas.

Three of their five players bogeyed the first hole — the par-5 10th — and the Commodores were a combined 6-over through nine holes. The four scorers combined for eight birdies in the second half of the round.

Alex opened with a bogey but then settled in with 10 straight pars. She got to 1-under with birdies on three of the next six but finished with a bogey on No. 9.

Keith never was under par but birdied No. 8, her 17th hole, to get to even par. She made bogey on two of the par-5s.

Six of the top 13 in the 24-team field were from the Southeastern Conference, led by LSU, which was tied for third at 4-over. Florida was in fifth, three strokes ahead of Vanderbilt.